Burning Dawn

by Gena Showalter

  Pain. Pain he did not welcome.

  For Elin, he had to stay strong.

  "You think you have me?" Thane released Ricker's wrist, reached inside the air pocket and withdrew a dagger. He pushed the tip against the male's voice box, drawing a bead of blood. "You think wrong. I can do this all day."

  "As can I." Ricker unsheathed a dagger from his waist and rested the cold steel against Thane's throat.

  "Enough," Ardeo shouted. "Enough."

  Ricker grunted with disapproval. "But, my king--"

  "I said enough! He could have ended my people, but he didn't. I won't have him killed."

  Hate blazed in Ricker's dark eyes as he jerked the sword out of Thane's shoulder. He backed away, Thane's blood-soaked weapon sliding out of his belly. Finally free, he bowed low to Ardeo, saying, "My apologies, Great King."

  Bjorn and Xerxes stepped over the bodies of the men they'd fought, men now writhing in pain, to flank Thane's sides. They were, and always would be, united.

  "You were looking for me," Thane said to Ardeo. "Here I am."

  The king stood and stumbled over. He'd been drinking. The smell of liquor seeped from his pores. His eyes were fogged over and bloodshot, and his leathers were torn and stained with blood.

  "My men want their precious women," the king said, his voice a slur and a sneer all at once.

  Thane thought for a moment. As much as he desired eternal revenge against the entire Firebird clan--did he? Still?--he had a new enemy to contend with, and the prince would require all of his skill and attention.

  Perhaps it was time to clear some more weeds.

  "I will relinquish your women, and even your males," he said. "All but Kendra. Her, I keep." He no longer wanted to torture her eternally, he realized with no small measure of surprise, but he wasn't ready to give her up, either. "In return, you will leave the heavens and never return."

  "My king," Ricker said, affronted. "Kendra is more than my wife. She is your consort's niece. Surely that means something to--"

  "My concubine is dead, killed by her own family. The rest of them can rot," Ardeo spat. "Besides, your wife was poisoning you. You would have become her slave if I hadn't forced you to leave the camp with me. You would do well to send Thane a fruit basket in thanks for his part in your liberation."

  Ricker nodded stiffly, but his eyes threw a new dagger of hatred at Thane.

  Message received. This wasn't the end.

  Ardeo looked to Thane. "Your terms are acceptable."

  He tasted no lie.

  "You must give us the halfling, as well." Orson, the one Bellorie had killed, tugged on a pair of pants as he closed the distance, his regeneration complete. A dark, twisted look had marred his face as he'd made the demand--one Thane knew well. He'd seen it in the mirrored walls of the Downfall, every time he'd gone in search of a lover.

  "Halfling?" Thane asked.

  "A female named Elin."

  Elin. Thane's Elin. Rage clawed at him. The warrior wants her. He wants what's mine.

  He dies.

  Thane held out his hand to summon a sword of fire. Then the warrior's words penetrated the haze of jealousy, and his arm fell to his side.

  Elin was a halfling? Half human, half...what? Phoenix? Captured because she was considered an abomination, never permitted to procreate--a practice the Phoenix were known for.

  No. No! She was not a tricky, conniving Phoenix, able to enslave every male she bedded--able to enslave him.

  But what if she was...

  Emotion welled inside him. More rage. Disgust, sorrow and, worst of all, bone-crushing fear. If she was Phoenix, he would never again be able to touch her. Never again see her. She would no longer be welcomed in his club.

  He would lose the sweetest part of his life.

  Abruptly, the sorrow overshadowed all else, even the fear. He could feel a roar brewing at the back of his throat. Not knowing what else to do, he stepped into the spirit realm, where the Phoenix couldn't see or hear him, threw his head back and let the sound loose. His entire body shook with the force.

  When he quieted, several rays of light managed to penetrate the darkness of his reaction. Elin screamed at the sight of blood. She baked terrible cakes, and enjoyed digging in the dirt. She laughed. She teased. She was nothing like Kendra and her fire-witch friends.

  Thane began to calm.

  Elin might be a halfling, but she certainly wasn't Phoenix. Her people were probably at war with the Phoenix. Yes. That fit. For all he knew, she was part banshee. That scream...

  Completely reassured, he returned to the natural realm.

  The Phoenix were in the process of demanding Xerxes and Bjorn go get him, wherever he'd gone, and his friends were in the process of standing still and quiet, arms crossed over their chests.

  He wanted to rapid-fire different questions about Elin but didn't. Revealing vulnerability was foolish.

  "The girl," Orson barked, jumping back into the conversation.

  "Trust me. You don't want to travel that road," Bjorn told him.

  "The only fork you'll come to," Xerxes added, "is the one leading to Pain and Destruction."

  Orson ignored the males, saying, "Do you have her or not?"

  Thane once again held out his hand, and this time, a sword of fire formed. The flames crackled menacingly. "With your words, you negate our deal. Therefore, I will offer you a new one. After I discover what each of your people did to my human--" my halfling "--I will mete out proper punishments. Then you may have your people back. If they regenerate."

  "Dirty winger!" Orson spat.

  "Let it be known," Thane said with absolutely zero inflection. Only cold, hard truth. "Hurt what's mine, touch what's mine, even desire what's mine, and suffer."

  For a moment, Ardeo's eyes cleared of the fog. He peered at Thane with newfound respect. And envy.

  "Very well," the king of the Phoenix said, giving up the battle to remain on his feet and plopping to the ground. "Your human was kind to me. Kind to my precious Malta. She is yours to do with as you please." His shoulders slumped. "As Malta was once mine."

  The liquor wasn't ruining him, Thane realized--it was merely a symptom. The true culprit was grief. The man had finally gotten Malta in his bed--but she was killed a few days later. He'd tasted heaven, and then he'd lost it.

  "Until we meet again." With a last warning look at the seething Orson, Thane flared his wings and returned to the sky.

  Remove the prisoners from the stakes, and lock them in the cells, he projected. He would have liked to do it himself, but the time to face Zacharel for his part in the destruction of the Rathbone building had come. I have an errand. I shouldn't be gone long.

  Bjorn and Xerxes didn't know about the meeting or what would be done to him, and that was the way he would keep it.

  Consider it done, Xerxes said.

  You don't have to worry-- Bjorn stopped, hovering in the middle of a sun-drenched cloud. Thane and Xerxes had to backtrack. The warrior's face was pained. I must go. He glanced over his shoulder. She's-- He pressed his lips together.

  She? Thane looked but saw no evidence of...what? The shadow demons? Or had his friend been summoned by their queen?

  I'm sorry, but I can say no more without breaking my vow. Bjorn, his features tormented, vanished.

  Thane bit his tongue until he tasted blood. The Lord of the Underworld, Lucien, has the ability to follow a person's spiritual trail, he said to Xerxes. After my errand, I'll hire him to follow Bjorn.

  Good plan.

  Lucien was the keeper of the demon of Death, responsible for escorting certain souls to the hereafter. He was a good man. Honest. Honorable. Rules mattered to him.

  "I'll see you soon." Thane branched to the right.

  Xerxes called out, stopping him. "What about the girl?"

  "She is to be protected at all costs." When he returned, he would talk to her. She would assure him of her ancestry.

  All would be well.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN
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  ANOTHER WHIPPING, YES. That was what Thane expected. Or, finally, the end of his immortality. He would have begged for another change. Instead, when he came to rest at the edge of Zacharel's cloud, the leader of the Army of Disgrace was waiting for him. He cupped the back of Thane's neck and pressed their foreheads together, the wind blustering around them.

  "You could have killed hundreds of humans," the Elite soldier said.

  "I know. The prince--"

  "Acted because you did not heed my order."

  He gave a stiff nod. "I know that, too. I regret my actions."

  Surprise whisked through eyes so green they could have been mistaken for emeralds. "Do you?"

  "Yes." Arrogance had cost him a much-desired victory. Maybe more.

  "I hope so. Because every decision you make affects more than your life," Zacharel said, black hair brushing his cheek. "It affects the lives of those who love and depend on you."

  The words struck a very sensitive chord inside Thane. He knew his actions affected the lives of his loved ones. He'd chosen to stay at the building, and Bjorn and Xerxes almost died. Elin almost lost her protector. His club almost fell under new management. Immortals from all over the world would have made a bid for it.

  "I have a new assignment for you," Zacharel said, and Thane realized with startling clarity that he would not be receiving punishment.

  "Have you nothing more to say about Rathbone?" he demanded.

  "No. You endangered lives, but you also saved them. Now, listen."

  Dazed, he nodded. In that moment, he felt...loved by his leader. Accepted.

  It was humbling.

  "It's imperative that we diminish the prince's growing army." Determination pulsed from the warrior. "One of his many hordes has been found in New York. I'll send you the coordinates when you reach land."

  He flexed his fingers with anticipation. "How was the horde found?"

  "Maleah."

  Maleah. Of course. A fallen Sent One. She monitored the world and its happenings, never resting. Once, she had been one of the most beloved members of the heavenly armies. Now she was determined to help the people she'd let down when she gave up her wings--for whatever reason. Speculation was rampant, but facts were few and far between.

  Once, Thane had lusted for her. Now, he mentally placed the pale-haired gothic beauty next to the dark-haired, delicate Elin. There was no contest.

  "Take the soldiers you need and kill the demons," Zacharel instructed. "Kill them all. Leave no minion standing."

  Very well. No mercy. A policy he still excelled at. Thane nodded, anticipation already slithering through him. "And if we come across the prince?" he asked.

  "Summon me."

  "All will be done as you have said." Unfortunately, his meeting with Lucien would have to wait.

  As he dived from the cloud, he communicated with Magnus, Malcolm, Jamilla and Axel all at once, commanding their presence on the roof of another building owned by Rathbone Industries in Times Square. Now.

  Zacharel gave him the coordinates he would need as he landed. Thane tucked his wings into his back and peered down at the colorful human world. The streets were crowded. Neon lights flashed. The atmosphere was thick with scents of food, perfume and exhaust. Voices chattered; cars honked. Some footsteps click-clacked. Some thumped.

  He heard the warriors arrive behind him. He turned, told them what Zacharel had said and where they were going. The same anticipation he felt was mirrored in their expressions.

  "I want one demon left alive," he announced. "Doesn't matter which one." Post-battle interrogations were always fun.

  Nods of agreement met his words.

  "Let's do this thing!" Axel said with a whoop.

  In unison, the group leaped from the building and arrowed toward the ground below. Because the warriors were in the spirit realm, their bodies were like mist as they bypassed the road, the subway system, and entered a labyrinth of dark, dank, forgotten tunnels.

  At the bottom, Thane solidified his body and palmed a sword of fire. The others did the same, and the flames acted as torches, casting golden light in every direction. The smell of sulfur stung his nostrils. Cackles echoed up ahead, but it was impossible to tell where they originated. The blood-splattered walls provided too many options.

  Thane held up his free hand and signed the direction he wanted each warrior to go. The group split up, everyone snaking their assigned corner.

  Alert, on guard, he raced forward, using his wings to propel him faster and faster despite the tight, cramped space. The voices grew louder. He heard humans now. Whimpering. Pleas for mercy that would never come. He gave up following the man-made tunnels and ghosted through the walls, the vibration of the sounds guiding his feet. But he took a wrong turn and ended up in an empty room.

  Scowling, he tried again.

  And again.

  And again.

  Finally, he cleared the mud and concrete and entered--

  A hell on earth. A scene from his deepest nightmares.

  At least thirty demons of every type congregated in a large room with crumbling stone walls, dilapidated wooden columns, and a floor swimming with dark, congealing blood.

  Six humans were chained throughout. Two females, three males. One child. Thane's stomach twisted. He sent his warriors a mental map of his location.

  He didn't understand this. The prince's demons were supposed to do anything necessary to possess certain humans. This went far beyond possession--it went far beyond depravity. Some of the creatures lounged in the blood, lapping at it. Some still tormented the humans, clawing at bits of exposed flesh and laughing.

  Thane's sword illuminated every wicked act, and one by one the demons noticed and faced him. Maniacal glee gave way to fear in every glowing red eye as the Sent Ones entered and closed off every possible exit.

  That was all he'd been waiting for.

  "Now!" Thane shouted.

  Chaos erupted.

  The Sent Ones jolted into action, swords swinging with lethal purpose. The demons with wings tried to fly away, but Thane and Axel were having none of that and clipped the appendages before a single creature could leave the den of horrors.

  Heads began to roll across the floor. Arms no longer attached to bodies flew through the chamber. Howls of pain rang out. Thane remained in constant motion, happily slicing, slicing, slicing at his enemy. No one could escape him.

  "Someone do me a solid and try to make this difficult for me," Axel quipped. "Or am I just too good? Yeah. That one. I'm so good I couldn't beat me."

  Magnus and Malcolm played hack and sack with a serp demon, punting the snakelike creature at each other--but only after removing another appendage each time. Soon, there was nothing left to punt.

  Jamilla pinned an envexa to the ground and plucked out his eyes...then cut out his tongue...then ripped out his throat.

  Thane stabbed a viha through the chest and moved toward his next target. Only there was a problem. There was only one demon left standing, and Axel was about to remove his head.

  "Stop," Thane said, and surprisingly enough, the Sent One complied.

  Thane stepped past him and backed the demon into a corner. It was one of the larger ones, with gnarled antlers extending from a misshapen head. Red skin matched its eyes--eyes nearly overshadowed by the protruding bones of its brow. It had no nose, merely holes for breathing. Its lips were thin, revealing teeth big and sharp enough to rival a great white.

  A menacing snarl rose from it.

  Thane smiled his coldest smile, then said to his warriors, "Take the humans to a safe place. Get them medical help, and assign a Joy Bringer to attend to each." Otherwise, the humans would crack, never be able to mentally heal. "I'll take care of the creature."

  Again, he was met with obedience.

  "Now...your turn. Allow me to help you shed a few pounds," Thane said, and promptly removed the demon's arms and legs, making it impossible for the creature to get away. Then he hauled his bounty to the Downfall's
dungeon.

  "Where's Adrian?" he asked the guards waiting in the doorway.

  "Xerxes has him following the human girl."

  Good.

  As Thane marched down the corridors, the undernourished Phoenix trapped in the cells were too weak to do anything more than look at him and moan. When he reached the center alcove, he pinned the demon to the wall, directly across from Kendra. Once again she had a place of honor.

  She had more energy than the others and hissed like an angry cat. "Release me, Thane. Now."

  Still so high and mighty. Despite his newfound clarity and remorse, rage surfaced. He turned and gave her the cold smile he'd given the demon.

  She trembled and pressed her lips together.

  "Pay attention, Kendra, because you might be next." He pulled a dagger from the air pocket. The metal was already stained with blood. He faced the demon. "I don't know if you've heard, but I'm very good with knives...and my interrogations never stop until I have what I want."

  *

  ELIN HEARD THE newest round of agonized screams and flinched. How long had this been going on? She'd lost track several hours ago.

  After practice--where, big shocker, Bonka Donk was declared an abject failure at the fine art of boulder tossing--Savy, Chanel and Octavia tried to distract her from the noise with a game of favor-poker. Boons were the currency, and Elin had lost every round. But the only boon the girls desired from her was to never again have to sample her desserts.

  After that, they'd switched to strip poker, and even though she was down to her new bra and panties and highly embarrassed, she still wasn't distracted.

  Apparently, Thane was in the dungeon "going native on a demon's ass."

  "I'm done," she said, throwing her cards on the table.

  Her announcement was met with boos from all three women. And more screams.

  "Done? You can't be effing done."

  "We just got started!"

  "Are you seriously pussing out?"

  Ignoring their questions, she asked one of her own. "Where's Bellorie?" She hadn't seen the girl since--

  Never mind.

  Chanel frowned. "You mean you don't know?"

  Her stomach clenched. "Know what?"

  "Thane banished her."

  "What?" she gasped.

  Octavia nodded. "It's true, petal. Axel brought her to the club. Xerxes told her she'd showed off her hodad and had to go. He watched as she packed her bags, then escorted her from the building. That's the I done been exiled, ya'll routine."